Chrysalis

"Congratulations," Enid smiled down on the still recovering young woman.

"Thank you mayor," Lilin replied, radiantly happy despite what she'd just been through.

"We're very happy," her husband Phillip said as he stared lovingly down at his wife.

"And how has the care you've received been?'

"Oh, just perfect," Lilin said.

"We couldn't be happier, mayor. Thank you," Phillip said.

"That's good. After the effort we put into building this place, I'm glad it's all come together."

[We told you it would be fine,] the on-rotation ant-medic said. [I still don't understand why you doubted us in the first place. When is the Colony anything but first-rate?]

[I should have believed in you,] Enid admitted, [but even I wasn't sure how well you would be able to run a maternity ward. You don't know anything about human reproduction.]

[Bah,] the ant groused, [our queens give birth hundreds of times every day. You think we can't heal someone who has given birth only once? Don't be ridiculous. Now get out of the way, I need to check the patient.]

Healers, medics and doctors always managed to be rude and ill-tempered. Even the non-human ones! In some ways, Enid took comfort knowing that this fact of life was even more universal than she'd thought.

The ant bustled forward, its head just barely high enough to see over the top of the bed Lilin rested in. Even if the eyes didn't quite reach, the antennae certainly did. The recovering mother was lightly tapped and brushed by those curious feelers as Lilin's eyes took on that slightly glazed expression of a person engaged in mind to mind conversation.

After a few moments, the antennae glowed brightly as they imparted a quick burst of healing mana to the patient.

Job done, the ant backed up and began to make her way out of the room.

[She'll be fine,] she said, [the baby has been cleaned up and checked. It will return to this room in one minute.]

And so it was, nestled in the mandibles of another healer ant. For a moment, Enid was forced to confront just how bizarre it was that she could see a genuine Dungeon monster skittering around with a newborn in its grip and feel absolutely no fear for the child. How strange. How marvellous.

[Here he is,] the new ant said cheerfully, and Enid could only assume it was a younger, less evolved healer. She hadn't had time to absorb the proper grumpiness expected of the caste.

Lilin's face lit up as her new baby boy returned to her arms. As Phillip leaned in to embrace them both, Enid brushed a tear from her eye. Such a touching scene, one that she would never tire of. How long had it been since she saw her own children? Too long. Goodness knows where they were now.

"Well, I will leave you to it. Congratulations again."

"Thank you, mayor," they replied and she smiled at them once more before she exited the room."

Who could have imagined they would have their own hospital? It was less than a year ago that they had fled the ruins of their homes, and already they thrived as they never had before.

She raised one hand to pat at the expertly cut stone walls before she exited the facility, doing her best to stay out of everyone's way. She stepped out into the streets of Renewal, and finding herself in a reflective mood, began to appreciate just how well built they were.

Wide and composed of perfectly formed stone, with deep drainage ditches along both sides, they were the sort of roads only the wealthiest lived on in Liria. This sort of mage-work was laborious, and expensive, which made it rare, at least, rare before the catastrophe. Every street in Renewal was formed this way, crafted by the carvers with exacting precision. Not only that, the layout of the town itself was a masterful stroke of planning and forward thinking.

The town council could take some credit for that, but even there, the influence of the Colony was felt. Traffic flowed so smoothly, it was rare to see someone waiting more than a few seconds at any particular junction.

She was engaged in conversation regularly as she made her way to her destination, the citizens pleased to see her and unafraid to approach and ask whatever questions were on their minds. She welcomed it. Where not long ago these exchanges were a never ending series of disasters as too few resources were divided amongst too many people, now that desperate edge was gone.

The people were comfortable. In fact, the people were thriving. Renewal had more than delivered upon its promise.

She found her way back to the council chambers in time, her own office situated in the same building. She walked behind her desk and sat with a weary sigh, her old bones creaking as she took the weight of them.

She kneaded her hands for a few minutes. They were so stiff these days, and healing magic didn't help at all. It wasn't possible to heal ageing, after all.

When they felt limber enough, she grabbed a pen and began to compose a letter. It wasn't overly long, but she carefully pondered each word, which dragged out the time. As it turned out, she finished just before the meeting was due to take place.

She debated taking the time to place it in an envelope and seal it, but decided against it. A waste of paper. Too inefficient, as the Colony would say.

She groaned as she heaved herself to her feet and made her way to the council chamber to find the others had already arrived, chatting amongst themselves.

It was interesting to note that the worried frowns and concerned whispers that so often marked these gatherings in the early days were gone, replaced with chuckles, back slapping and warm greetings.

"You're all here, that's fantastic," Enid greeted them, waving back those who came to speak with her. "If it's all the same with you, I'd like to jump straight to the business at hand. Unless there are any objections?"

There were none, so Enid sat at the head of the table and began to chair the gathering.

"Very well, let's get started. Mrs Hull, you're our minutes taker today?"

"Yes, mayor. Ready when you are."

"Wonderful. Thank you, dear."

She pulled out her letter and placed it on the table.

"I had the pleasure of witnessing a birth today. This child was conceived, carried and born in Renewal, the first of many, I hope. So it seems as good a time as any. I'm resigning my position as mayor, effective immediately."

She stood and stretched her back.

"Good luck with the rest," she said as she made her way to the door surrounded by stunned silence. "I need some tea."